Poetry, Plants & the Anthropocene

press release: Poetry, Plants, and the Anthropocene will introduce work by contemporary American poets whose representations of plants draw attention to human-caused environmental devastation and the consequences for both human and non-human lives. Writing early in the 19th century, the poet John Keats stated that the “great end” of poetry was “to soothe the cares and lift the thoughts of men.” Rather than soothing readers’ cares, many poets today strive to unsettle their readers and cultivate awareness of the troubling challenges we face, including accelerating climate change and the injustice of its uneven impacts. Behind this insistence on our immediate cares lies a hope that poems might advance the process of addressing those challenges.

Join Lynn Keller at the UW Arboretum for a free talk that explores the environmental challenges of our time through poetry. Space is limited. Advance registration is requested.

More on the exhibit:

Friday, April 26, 2019 - 5 p.m. Sunday, June 23, 2019

OPENING RECEPTION: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, May 17, 2019

In an era described as the Sixth Great Extinction, plants both rare and familiar are at risk, and climate change is accelerating the loss of unique habitats and species. For this exhibit, we've asked five Wisconsin artists to create new work focused on the plants and plant communities that are threatened in Wisconsin. Cynthia Brinich-Langlois (Whitewater), Helen Klebesadel (Madison), Bethann Moran-Handzlik (Fort Atkinson), Katie Musolff (Stoddard), and Lynne Railsback (Williams Bay) are working with local naturalists and scientists to learn about habitats where losses of local botanical diversity are expected to be significant. These include Wisconsin’s northern forests and lakes, where iconic species such as white pine, birch, and hemlock are at risk, as is wild rice; coastal wetlands, where native species are threatened by extreme changes in water levels, pollutant loadings from upstream sources, and invasive species; and oak-savannas and prairies, where native species are threatened by habitat encroachment, loss of sufficient winter dormancy and competing species from warmer zones.

Join us for a Reception featuring an Artists’ Panel on Friday, May 17, 2019, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.